This past tense corresponds to "was, were or used to." This tense
is used for repeated, continuous, or ongoing actions; as well as for verbs
that describe background and circumstances, such as weather, time, and
physical, mental, and emotional states. (Use the passé composé
for actions that happened once and are done.) Verbs that express
mental and emotional states that are descriptive in nature are generally
used in the imperfect more than the passé composé. These
verbs are: aimer, avoir, croire, détester, espérer, être,
penser, and préférer.
To form the stem, use the nous form of the present tense
and drop the -ons. Then add these endings:
| -ais | /ɛ/ | -ions | /jɔ̃/ |
| -ais | /ɛ/ | -iez | /je/ |
| -ait | /ɛ/ | -aient | /ɛ/ |
The only exception is être for which you must use
the stem ét-, but still the same endings. Verb stems
that end in -c must use a cedilla (ç) under the c to make it soft.
Verb stems ending in -g keep the e before all forms except nous and vous.
| être | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| étais | /etɛ/ | étions | /etjɔ̃/ |
| étais | /etɛ/ | étiez | /etje/ |
| était | /etɛ/ | étaient | /etɛ/ |
| commencer | manger | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| commençais | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | commencions | /kɔmɑ̃sjɔ̃/ | mangeais | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ | mangions | /mɑ̃ʒjɔ̃/ |
| commençais | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | commenciez | /kɔmɑ̃sje/ | mangeais | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ | mangiez | /mɑ̃ʒje/ |
| commençait | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | commençaient | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | mangeait | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ | mangeaient | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ |
Avoir, Devoir, Pouvoir, Savoir, and Vouloir
These verbs change meanings, according to whether they are used in the imperfect or the passé composé.
| Imperfect | Passé Composé | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
avoir
|
j'avais | I had | j'ai eu | I got, received |
devoir
|
je devais | I was supposed to | j'ai dû | I must have, I had to (and did) |
pouvoir
|
je pouvais | I was capable | j'ai pu je n'ai pas pu |
I was able to (and did), succeeded I couldn't, failed |
savoir
|
je savais | I knew | j'ai su | I found out, discovered |
vouloir
|
je voulais | I wanted to | j'ai voulu je n'ai pas voulu |
I tried, decided, insisted I refused |
The imperfect tense is also used with these constructions:
| être en train de + infinitive = to be in the middle of doing something | |
| J'étais en train d'étudier quand vous êtes arrivés. | I was (in the process of ) studying when you arrived. |
| être sur le point de + infinitive = to be just about to do something | |
| J'étais sur le point de vous rappeler. | I was just about to call you back. |
| aller + infinitive = going to do something | |
| J'allais sortir quand le téléphone a sonné. | I was going to leave when the phone rang. |
| venir de + infinitive = to have just done something | |
| Je venais de manger, alors je n'avais plus faim. | I had just eaten, so I wasn't hungry anymore. |
| school | l'école (f) | /ekɔl/ | university | l'université (f) | /ynivɛʀsite/ |
| bathroom | les toilettes (f) | /twalɛt/ | bank | la banque | /bɑ̃k/ |
| locker | le casier | /kɑzje/ | train station | la gare | /gaʀ/ |
| drinking fountain | la fontaine | /fɔ̃tɛn/ | airport | l'aéroport (m) | /aeʀɔpɔʀ/ |
| store | le magasin | /magazɛ̃/ | telephone | le téléphone | /telefɔn/ |
| library | la biblio(thèque) | /biblijɔtɛk/ | apartment | l'appartement (m) | /apaʀtəmɑ̃/ |
| office | le bureau | /byʀo/ | hotel | l'hôtel (m) | /otɛl/ |
| stadium | le stade | /stad/ | village | le village | /vilaʒ/ |
| cafe | le café | /kafe/ | factory | l'usine (f) | /yzin/ |
| cafeteria | la cafétéria | /kafeteʀja/ | garden | le jardin | /ʒaʀdɛ̃/ |
| movie theater | le cinéma | /sinema/ | castle | le château | /ʃato/ |
| church | l'église (f) | /egliz/ | cathedral | la cathédrale | /katedʀal/ |
| museum | le musée | /myze/ | zoo | le zoo | /zo/ |
| pool | la piscine | /pisin/ | bakery | la boulangerie | /bulɑ̃ʒʀi/ |
| countryside | la campagne | /kɑ̃paɲ/ | monument | le monument | /mɔnymɑ̃/ |
| beach | la plage | /plaʒ/ | pharmacy | la pharmacie | /faʀmasi/ |
| theater | le théâtre | /teɑtʀ/ | butcher shop | la boucherie | /buʃʀi/ |
| park | le parc | /paʀk/ | candy store | la confiserie | /kɔ̃fizʀi/ |
| restaurant | le restaurant | /ʀɛstɔʀɑ̃/ | police station | la gendarmerie | /ʒɑ̃daʀm(ə)ʀi/ |
| hospital | l'hôpital (m) | /ɔpital/ | town hall | la mairie | /mɛʀi/ |
| post office | la poste | /pɔst/ | square | la place | /plas/ |
| home | la maison | /mɛzɔ̃/ | bookstore | la librairie | /libʀɛʀi/ |
| city | la ville | /vil/ | grocery store | l'épicerie (f) | /episʀi/ |
| supermarket | le supermarché | /sypɛʀmaʀʃe/ | pastry shop | la pâtisserie | /pɑtisʀi/ |
| delicatessen | la charcuterie | /ʃaʀkytʀi/ | fish market | la poissonnerie | /pwasɔnʀi/ |
Nowadays, la médiathèque /medjatɛk/ is replacing
bibliothèque because most libraries also have DVDs and CDs to
lend, not just books. You may also hear la cantine
/kɑ̃tin/ to refer to the cafeteria in a school.
Listen to the les magasins : à la boulangerie mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. | by bike | en vélo (m) | /ɑ̃ velo/ |
| by bus | en bus (m) | /ɑ̃ bus/ |
| by moped | en scooter (m) | /ɑ̃ skutœʀ/ |
| by car | en voiture (f) | /ɑ̃ vwatyʀ/ |
| by motorcycle | en moto (f) | /ɑ̃ moto/ |
| by subway | en métro (m) | /ɑ̃ metʀo/ |
| on foot | à pied (m) | /a pje/ |
| by plane | en avion (m) | /ɑ̃ navjɔ̃/ |
| by train | en train (m) | /ɑ̃ tʀɛ̃/ |
| by boat | en bateau (m) | /ɑ̃ bato/ |
Instead of using a specific verb of movement (drive, fly, walk) before
a location, French actually uses a more general verb + the location
+ the manner of movement.
I walk to school. = Je vais à l'école à pied. (I go to school on foot.)
I'm flying to New York. = Je vais à New York en avion. (I go to New York by plane.)
Common slang words for car/automobile are
une bagnole /baɲɔl/ or une caisse /kɛs/. In Quebec,
it's un char /ʃaʀ/.
vouloir /vulwaʀ/ -to want and
pouvoir /puvwaʀ/ - to be able to, can
| Present | Imperfect | Future | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| veux | /vø/ | voulons | /vulɔ̃/ | voulais | /vulɛ/ | voulions | /vuljɔ̃/ | voudrai | /vudʀɛ/ | voudrons | /vudʀɔ̃/ |
| veux | /vø/ | voulez | /vule/ | voulais | /vulɛ/ | vouliez | /vulje/ | voudras | /vudʀa/ | voudrez | /vudʀe/ |
| veut | /vø/ | veulent | /vœl/ | voulait | /vulɛ/ | voulaient | /vulɛ/ | voudra | /vudʀa/ | voudront | /vudʀɔ̃/ |
| peux | /pø/ | pouvons | /puvɔ̃/ | pouvais | /puvɛ/ | pouvions | /puvjɔ̃/ | pourrai | /puʀɛ/ | pourrons | /puʀɔ̃/ |
| peux | /pø/ | pouvez | /puve/ | pouvais | /puvɛ/ | pouviez | /puvje/ | pourras | /puʀa/ | pourrez | /puʀe/ |
| peut | /pø/ | peuvent | /pœv/ | pouvait | /puvɛ/ | pouvaient | /puvɛ/ | pourra | /puʀa/ | pourront | /puʀɔ̃/ |
Voulez-vous? can mean Do you want? or Will you? The past participles are voulu and pu and both are conjugated with avoir. The conditional forms of vouloir are used in the expression "would like" i.e. I'd like = je voudrais, you'd like = tu voudrais, he'd/she'd like = il/elle voudrait, we'd like = nous voudrions, you'd like = vous voudriez, they'd like = ils/elles voudraient.
► You do not need to use pouvoir after verbs that involve the senses, such as voir (to see) and entendre (to hear). Je ne vois pas / Je n'entends pas can mean I don't see or I can't see / I don't hear or I can't hear depending on the context.
| House | la maison | /mɛzɔ̃/ | Yard | le jardin | /ʒaʀdɛ̃/ |
| Apartment | l'appartement (m) | /apaʀtəmɑ̃/ | Shrub | l'arbuste (m) | /aʀbyst/ |
| Bedroom | la chambre | /ʃɑ̃bʀ/ | Lawn/grass | le gazon / la pelouse | /gazɔ̃/ /p(ə)luz/ |
| Hallway | le couloir | /kulwaʀ/ | Bush | le buisson | /bɥisɔ̃/ |
| Kitchen | la cuisine | /kɥizin/ | Tree | l'arbre (m) | /aʀbʀ/ |
| Storeroom | le débarras | /debaʀa/ | Lawn mower | la tondeuse à gazon | /tɔ̃dœzagazɔ̃/ |
| Stairs | l'escalier (m) | /ɛskalje/ | Hose | le tuyau d'arrosage | /tɥijodaʀozaʒ/ |
| Floor | l'étage (m) | /etaʒ/ | Watering can | l'arrosoir (m) | /aʀozaʒ/ |
| Living Room | le living / le salon | /liviŋ/ /salɔ̃/ | Rake | le râteau | /ʀɑto/ |
| Closet | la penderie | /pɑ̃dʀi/ | Hoe | la bêche | /bɛʃ/ |
| Room | la pièce | /pjɛs/ | Clippers | le cisaille | /sizɑj/ |
| Ground Floor | le rez-de-chaussée | /ʀɛdʃose/ | Shovel | la pelle | /pɛl/ |
| Dining Room | la salle à manger | /salamɑ̃ʒe/ | Sprinkler | l'arroseur (m) | /aʀozœʀ/ |
| Bathroom | la salle de bains | /saldəbɛ̃/ | Lock (door) | la serrure | /seʀyʀ/ |
| Terrace, patio | la terrasse | /tɛʀas/ | Lock (bolt) | le verrou | /vɛʀu/ |
| Attic | le grenier | /gʀənje/ | Padlock | le cadenas | /kadna/ |
| Chimney | la cheminée | /ʃ(ə)mine/ | Hinges | la charnière | /ʃaʀnjɛʀ/ |
| Roof | le toit | /twɑ/ | Key | la clé | /kle/ |
| Garage | le garage | /gaʀaʒ/ | Keychain | le porte-clé | /pɔʀtkle/ |
| Driveway | l'allée (f) | /ale/ | Keyhole | le trou de la serrure | seʀyʀ/ |
| Sidewalk | le trottoir | /tʀɔtwaʀ/ | Doorknob | la poignée de porte | /pwaɲedəpɔʀt/ |
| Porch | le porche | /pɔʀʃ/ | Tile roofing | les tuiles (f) | /tɥil/ |
| Basement | le sous-sol | /susɔl/ | Clapboard/Shingle | les bardeaux (m) | /baʀdo/ |
| Cellar | la cave | /kav/ | Slate roofing | l'ardoise (f) | /aʀdwaz/ |
You may also see the words la loggia /lɔdʒja/ (small room off
a large room - sometimes like a pantry) and la veranda
/veʀɑ̃da/ (enclosed porch/balcony), as well as les toilettes /twalɛt/ (a
separate room just for the toilet), for parts of a house or apartment.
Listen to the le logement : décrire son appartement mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. | Furniture | les meubles | /mœbl/ | Appliances | l'électroménager | /elɛktʀomenaʒe/ |
| Shelf | l'étagère (f) | /etaʒɛʀ/ | Thermostat | le thermostat | /tɛʀmɔsta/ |
| Desk | le bureau | /byʀo/ | Air Conditioner | le climatiseur | /klimatizœʀ/ |
| Chair | la chaise | /ʃɛz/ | Fan | le ventilateur | /vɑ̃tilatœʀ/ |
| Dresser | la commode | /kɔmɔd/ | Rocking chair | le fauteuil à bascule | /fotœjabaskyl/ |
| Curtain | le rideau | /ʀido/ | Stool | le tabouret | /tabuʀɛ/ |
| Curtain rod | la tringle | /tʀɛ̃gl/ | Cushion | le coussin | /kusɛ̃/ |
| Shutters | les volets (m) | /vɔlɛ/ | Carpet | la moquette | /mɔkɛt/ |
| Blinds | les stores (m) | /stɔʀ/ | Mixer / Beater | le batteur électrique | /batœʀelɛktʀik/ |
| Window | la fenêtre | /fənɛtʀ/ | Blender | le mixeur | /miksœʀ/ |
| Bed | le lit / le plumard | /li/ /plymaʀ/ | Can opener | l'ouvre-boîtes (m) | /uvʀəbwat/ |
| Door | la porte | /pɔʀt/ | Toaster | le grille-pain | /gʀijpɛ̃/ |
| Closet | le placard | /plakaʀ/ | Coffee maker | la cafétière | /kaftjɛʀ/ |
| Rug | le tapis | /tapi/ | Coffee press | le moulin à café | /mulɛ̃ na kafe/ |
| Lamp | la lampe | /lɑ̃p/ | Kettle | la bouilloire | /bujwaʀ/ |
| Nightstand | la table de nuit | /tabldənɥi/ | Sheet | le drap | /dʀa/ |
| Answering machine | le répondeur | /ʀepɔ̃dœʀ/ | Blanket | la couverture | /kuvɛʀtyʀ/ |
| Stereo | la chaîne hi fi | /ʃɛn i fi/ | Mattress | le matelas | /matla/ |
| Television | la télé(vision) | /televizjɔ̃/ | Bunkbeds | les lits superposés (m) | /lisypɛʀpoze/ |
| VCR | le magnétoscope | /maɲetɔskɔp/ | Lightswitch | l'interrupteur (m) | /ɛ̃teʀyptœʀ/ |
| Remote Control | la télécommande | /telekɔmɑ̃d/ | Lampshade | l'abat-jour (m) | /abaʒuʀ/ |
| Computer | l'ordinateur (m) | /ɔʀdinatœʀ/ | Faucet | le robinet | /ʀɔbinɛ/ |
| Radio | la radio | /ʀadjo/ | Drain/Piping | la canalisation | /kanalizasjɔ̃/ |
| Fridge | le frigo | /fʀigo/ | Towel bar | le porte-serviettes | /pɔʀtsɛʀvjɛt/ |
| Refrigerator | le réfrigérateur | /ʀefʀiʒeʀatœʀ/ | Laundry room | la buanderie | /bɥɑ̃dʀi/ |
| Freezer | le congélateur | /kɔ̃ʒelatœʀ/ | Bleach | la javel | /ʒavɛl/ |
| (Coffee) Table | la table (basse) | /tabl bas/ | Laundry basket | le panier à linge | /panje a lɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Sink | l'évier (m) | /evje/ | Clothespin | la pince à linge | /pɛ̃s a lɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Bathtub | la baignoire | /bɛɲwaʀ/ | Washing Machine | la machine à laver / le lave-linge | /maʃinalave/ /lavlɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Stove | la cuisinière | /kɥizinjɛʀ/ | Clothes Dryer | le sèche-linge | /sɛʃlɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Oven | le four | /fuʀ/ | Iron | le fer à repasser | /fɛʀaʀəpase/ |
| Dishwasher | le lave-vaisselle | /lavvɛsɛl/ | Ironing board | la planche à repasser | /plɑ̃ʃaʀəpase/ |
| Microwave | le four à micro-ondes | /fuʀamikʀoɔ̃d/ | Hanger | le cintre | /sɛ̃tʀ/ |
| Shower | la douche | /duʃ/ | Vacuum | l'aspirateur (m) | /aspiʀatœʀ/ |
| Pillow | l'oreiller | /ɔʀɛje/ | Broom | le balai | /balɛ/ |
| Mirror | le miroir | /miʀwaʀ/ | Dustpan | la pelle | /pɛl/ |
| Ceiling | le plafond | /plafɔ̃/ | Mop | la serpillière | /sɛʀpijɛʀ/ |
| Floor | le plancher | /plɑ̃ʃe/ | Garbage | les ordures (f) | /ɔʀdyʀ/ |
| Armchair | le fauteuil | /fotœj/ | Garbage bag | le sac poubelle | /sakpubɛl/ |
| Clock | la pendule | /pɑ̃dyl/ | Garbage can | la poubelle | /pubɛl/ |
| Bedspread | le couvre-lit | /kuvʀəli/ | Flyswatter | la tapette à mouche | /tapɛtamuʃ/ |
| Vase | le vase | /vɑz/ | Clothes Dryer | le séchoir | /seʃwaʀ/ |
| Bathroom sink | le lavabo | /lavabo/ | Hair Dryer | le sèche-cheveux | /seʃaʃəvø/ |
| Futon couch | le clic-clac | /klik klak/ | Couch/Sofa | le canapé / le sofa | /kanape/ /sɔfa/ |
| DVD Player | le lecteur de DVD | /lɛktœʀdədevede/ |
Allume la lumière. / Eteinds la télé. Turn on the light. / Turn off the television.
| aussi (adj or adv) que | as (adj or adv) as |
| moins (adj or adv) que | less (adj or adv) than |
| plus (adj or adv) que | more (adj or adv) than |
| plus de (noun) que | more (noun) than |
| autant de (noun) que | as many (noun) as |
| moins de (noun) que | less (noun) than |
| She is taller than Colette. | Elle est plus grande que Colette. |
| I am smarter than you. | Je suis plus intelligente que toi. |
| Peter runs less quickly than me. | Pierre court moins rapidement que moi. |
| The kitchen is as big as the living room. | La cuisine est aussi grande que le salon. |
| I have more books than she. | J'ai plus de livres qu'elle. |
| We have as many cars as he. | Nous avons autant de voitures que lui. |
Verbs can also be compared with plus/aussi/moins (+
que):
Il travaille moins qu'elle. He works less
than she.
Ils dorment plus. They sleep more.
Ils dorment plus. They sleep more.
Simply add le, la or les before the comparative if you are using an adjective. With adverbs, always use le. After a superlative, de is used to mean in. If the adjective follows the noun, the superlative follows the noun also, surrounding the adjective.
| It's the biggest city in the world. | C'est la plus grande ville du monde. |
| She is the most beautiful woman in this room. | Elle est la plus belle femme de cette salle. |
| This neighborhood is the least expensive in Paris. | Ce quartier est le moins cher de Paris. |
| It's the most dreaded punishment in the world. | C'est la punition la plus redoutable du monde. |
| She works the most courageously of everyone. | Elle travaille le plus courageusement de tous. |
In French, sometimes you don't use any articles, as compared
to English:
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même
chose. The more things change, the more
they stay the same.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bon | good | meilleur/e | better | le/la meilleur/e | best |
| mauvais | bad | pire | worse | le/la pire | worst |
| petit | small | moindre | less | le/la moindre | least |
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative | |||
| bien | well | mieux | better | le mieux | best |
| beaucoup | much | plus | more | le plus | most |
| mal | badly | pis | worse | le pis | worst |
| peu | little | moins | less | le moins | least |
Only use the irregular forms of mauvais
in the abstract sense. If the idea is concrete, you may use plus/moins
mauvais and le/la mauvais.
| pajamas | le pyjama | boxer shorts | le caleçon |
| jewelry | le bijou | briefs | le slip |
| necklace | le collier | panties | la culotte |
| jeans | le jean | tuxedo | le smoking |
| pants | le pantalon | bowtie | le nœud papillon |
| sweater | le pull | vest/cardigan | le gilet |
| turtleneck | le col roulé | flip flops | les tongs |
| raincoat | l'imperméable (m) | sleeve | la manche |
| blouse | le chemisier | la poche | |
| bra | le soutien-gorge | decorative scarf | la foulard |
| slip | le jupon | man's suit | le costume |
| coat | le manteau | woman's suit | le tailleur |
| tennis shoes | des tennis (m) | slippers | des pantoufles (f) |
| swimsuit | le maillot de bain | jacket | le blouson |
| shorts | le short | underwear | les sous-vêtements |
| bracelet | le bracelet | gloves | les gants (m) |
| charm | le porte-bonheur | mittens | les moufles (f) |
| t-shirt | le tee-shirt | belt | la ceinture |
| hat | le chapeau | cap | la casquette |
| ring | la bague | skirt | la jupe |
| chain | la chaînette | dress | la robe |
| earrings | les boucles d'oreilles (f) | sandal | la sandale |
| pin | l'épingle (f) | boots | des bottes (f) |
| sock | la chaussette | blazer/coat | la veste |
| shoe | la chaussure | scarf | l'écharpe (f) |
| man's shirt | la chemise | tie | la cravate |
| hooded jacket | l'anorak | slipper shoes | des chaussons |
| sneakers | des baskets | high heels | des escarpins |
| track suit | le jogging | long shorts | le bermuda |
| size (clothes) | la taille | size (shoes) | la pointure |
Les bas (stockings) and les collants
(tights) are popular in France. Chaussures à talons hauts
are high-heeled shoes, while chaussures à talons plats
are flat shoes. Chaussures de ville are dress shoes.
A slang word for clothes is les fringues.
50. To Wear
Present
|
Imperfect
|
Future
|
|||||||||
| mets | /mɛ/ | mettons | /mɛtɔ̃/ | mettais | /mɛtɛ/ | mettions | /mɛtjɔ̃/ | mettrai | /mɛtʀɛ/ | mettrons | /mɛtʀɔ̃/ |
| mets | /mɛ/ | mettez | /mɛte/ | mettais | /mɛtɛ/ | mettiez | /mɛtje/ | mettras | /mɛtʀa/ | mettrez | /mɛtʀe/ |
| met | /mɛ/ | mettent | /mɛt/ | mettait | /mɛtɛ/ | mettaient | /mɛtɛ/ | mettra | /mɛtʀa/ | mettront | /mɛtʀɔ̃/ |
Other verbs that are conjugated like mettre: promettre
- to promise and permettre - to permit. The past participle of
mettre is mis and it is conjugated with avoir.
Porter is actually the verb to wear, but
the French use mettre also.
| Il / Elle te va bien. | It looks good on you. (informal) |
| Il / Elle vous va bien. | It looks good on you. (formal) |
| Ils / Elles te vont bien. | They look good on you. (informal) |
| Ils / Elles vous vont bien. | They look good on you. (formal) |
The futur simple expresses an action that will take
place [will + infinitive]. The futur antérieur expresses an action
that will have taken place before another future action [will have
+ past participle]. The future tense is used just like it is in
English, however, in French, the future is always used after quand
or lorsque (when), dès que or aussitôt que
(as soon as) and tant que (as long as.)
To form the future tense, use the infinitive and add these
endings that resemble those of avoir. However, you drop the -e from
-re verbs.
| -ai | /ɛ/ | -ons | ɔ̃/ |
| -as | /a/ | -ez | /e/ |
| -a | /a/ | -ont | /ɔ̃/ |
parler
|
choisir
|
perdre
|
|||
| parlerai | parlerons | choisirai | choisirons | perdrai | perdrons |
| parleras | parlerez | choisiras | choisirez | perdras | perdrez |
| parlera | parleront | choisira | choisiront | perdra | perdront |
And of course, there are exceptions. Here are the
irregular stems for the future tense (these will also be used in the conditional
tense):
| aller | ir- | pleuvoir | pleuvr- |
| avoir | aur- | pouvoir | pourr- |
| courir | courr- | recevoir | recevr- |
| devoir | devr- | savoir | saur- |
| envoyer | enverr- | tenir | tiendr- |
| être | ser- | valoir | vaudr- |
| faire | fer- | venir | viendr- |
| falloir | faudr- | voir | verr- |
| mourir | mourr- | vouloir | voudr- |
être
|
aller
|
||
| serai | serons | j'irai | irons |
| seras | serez | iras | irez |
| sera | seront | ira | iront |
Other exceptions: For appeler and jeter, double the consonant. For nettoyer and payer, change the y to i. For acheter, add an accent grave. For préférer, the accents all remain the same.
jeter
|
payer
|
acheter
|
préférer
|
|||||||
| jetterai | jetterons | paierai | paierons | achèterai | achèterons | préférerai | préférerons | |||
| jetteras | jetterez | paieras | paierez | achèteras | achèterez | préféreras | préférerez | |||
| jettera | jetteront | paiera | paieront | achètera | achèteront | préférera | préféreront | |||
To form the futur antérieur (will have + past participle), use the future of either avoir or être (whichever the main verb takes) and the past participle of the main verb.
Quand ils reviendront, ils auront changé. When they come back, they will have changed.
Dès qu'ils seront revenus, ils voudront repartir. As soon as they have returned, they will want to leave again.
52. Preceding & Plural Adjectives
| Masculine | Feminine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | ||
| beautiful | beau (bel) | beaux | belle | belles | ||
| good | bon | bons | bonne | bonnes | ||
| dear | cher | chers | chère | chères | ||
| crazy | fou (fol) | foux | folle | folles | ||
| nice | gentil | gentils | gentille | gentilles | ||
| big | grand | grands | grande | grandes | ||
| large | gros | gros | grosse | grosses | ||
| young | jeune | jeunes | jeune | jeunes | ||
| pretty | joli | jolis | jolie | jolies | ||
| long | long | longs | longue | longues | ||
| bad | mauvais | mauvais | mauvaise | mauvaises | ||
| better, best | meilleur | meilleurs | meilleure | meilleures | ||
| soft | mou (mol) | moux | molle | molles | ||
| new | nouveau (nouvel) | nouveaux | nouvelle | nouvelles | ||
| little | petit | petits | petite | petites | ||
| old | vieux (vieil) | vieux | vieille | vieilles | ||
The masculine singular and plural are pronounced the same, as are the feminine singular and plural. These are the most common adjectives that go before the noun. An acronym to remember which ones go before the noun is BRAGS: Beauty, Resemblance (même and autre), Age/Order (premier and dernier), Goodness, and Size. All other adjectives, except numbers, go after the noun. The five words in parentheses (bel, fol, mol, nouvel, and vieil) are used before masculine singular words beginning with a vowel or a silent h.
A few adjectives can be used before or after the noun, and the meaning changes accordingly. When used before the noun, they take a figurative meaning; and when used after, they take a literal meaning.
Before plural adjectives preceding plural nouns, you use de instead of des to mean some. Ex: Some old monuments. De vieux monuments.
Almost all adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Most adjectives are given in the masculine form, so to change to the feminine forms, follow these rules:
| Masculine | Feminine | Adjective | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add -e | brun | brune | brown | ||
| fatigué | fatiguée | tired | |||
| If it already ends in -e, add nothing | jeune | jeune | young | ||
| -x changes to -se | généreux | généreuse | generous | ||
Exceptions:
|
faux | fausse | false | ||
| roux | rousse | red (hair) | |||
| doux | douce | sweet, soft | |||
| -il, -el, and -eil change to -ille, -elle, and -eille |
naturel | naturelle | natural | ||
| -et changes to -ète | inquiet | inquiète | worried | ||
Exceptions:
|
muet | muette | silent | ||
| coquet | coquette | stylish | |||
| -en and -on change to -enne and -onne |
Italien | Italienne | Italian | ||
| -er changes to -ère | cher | chère | dear, expensive | ||
| -f changes to -ve | actif | active | active | ||
| -c changes to -che | blanc | blanche | white | ||
Exceptions:
|
public | publique | public | ||
| grec | grecque | Greek | |||
| -g changes to -gue | long | longue | long | ||
| -eur changes to -euse if adjective is derived from verb |
menteur | menteuse | liar | ||
| -eur changes to -rice if adjective is not same as verb |
créateur | créatrice | creator | ||
| -eur changes to -eure with adjectives of comparison |
inférieur | inférieure | inferior | ||
| And a few completely irregular ones: | épais | épaisse | thick | ||
| favori | favorite | favorite | |||
| frais | fraîche | fresh, cool | |||
To form the feminine plural, just add an -s, unless it already ends in an s, then add nothing. To form the masculine plural, just add an -s, except in these cases: -al becomes -aux (exceptions: banal - banals; final - finals); and if it ends in an x or s already, add nothing.
| Masculine Singular | Masculine Plural | |
| national | national | nationaux |
| general | général | généraux |
| Feminine Singular | Feminine Plural | |
| national | nationale | nationales |
| general | générale | générales |
And of course there are more exceptions... some adjectives are invariable and do not have feminine or plural forms. Compound adjectives, such as bleu clair (light blue) and vert foncé (dark green), adjectives that are also nouns, such as or (gold), argent (silver), marron (chestnut), and the words chic (stylish), bon marché or meilleur marché (inexpensive) never change.
| short (length) | court/e | different | différent/e | boring | ennuyeux/euse |
| loud, noisy | bruyant/e | situated | situé/e | crazy | fou/folle |
| elegant | élégant/e | big | gros/se | interesting | intéressant/e |
| tight, narrow | étroit/e | curious | curieux/euse | sensitive | sensible |
| several | plusieurs | nervous | nerveux/euse | athletic | sportif/sportive |
| pointed | pointu/e | only | seul/e | stubborn | têtu/e |
| bright | vif/vive | amusing | amusant/e | shy | timide |
| cute | mignon/ne | touching | émouvant/e | hard-working | travailleur/euse |
| perfect | parfait/e | funny | drôle, marrant/e | optimistic | optimiste |
| ready | prêt/e | heavy | lourd/e | pessimistic | pessimiste |
| sad | triste | careful | prudent/e | tolerant | tolérant/e |
| clever | malin/maligne | dirty | sale | pretentious | prétentieux/euse |
| lazy | paresseux/euse | tired | fatigué/e | ambitious | ambitieux/se |
| generous | généreux/euse | angry | fâché/e | pleasant | agréable |
| famous | célèbre | annoyed | irrité/e | enthusiastic | enthousiaste |
| decorated | décoré/e | old | âgé/e | honest | honnête |
Remember the first word is the masculine and the second is the feminine. The addition of an e for the feminine form allows the last consonant to be voiced. These adjectives go after the noun.
Normally, the verb rendre means to give something that you
owe to someone, such as On rend ses devoirs au professeur. It
can also be used in the sense of to represent. But rendre
+ adjective means to make someone or something + adjective.
Tu me rends si heureuse ! You make me so happy!
Le fait qu'il ne possède pas de voiture le rend triste. The fact that he doesn't have a car makes him sad.
Le fait qu'il ne possède pas de voiture le rend triste. The fact that he doesn't have a car makes him sad.
Some common slang adjectives that are used constantly in
everyday speech:
| chouette | great, good | minable | mediocre |
| con / conne | stupid, dumb | moche | ugly, unpleasant |
| débile | idiotic | sensass | sensational |
| dégueu(lasse) | disgusting, bad | super | marvellous |
| extra | extraordinary | sympa | nice, pleasant |
| génial | very interesting | tarte | inane |
| impec | perfect | tocard | ridiculous, deplorable |
The intensifiers vachement and drôlement
are also used often, meaning very or really.
Il est vachement sympa. = He is really nice.
Elle est drôlement triste. = She is very sad.
Listen to the le caractère : une jeune fille très heureuse mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.
Some verbs in French present problems because they have several
translations in English. Other verbs can have several translations in
French, but fewer meanings in English.
visiter - to visit places
rendre visite à - to visit people
rendre visite à - to visit people
apporter - to bring things to some place
emporter - to take things from some place
amener - to bring someone to some place
emmener - to take someone from some place
emporter - to take things from some place
amener - to bring someone to some place
emmener - to take someone from some place
apprendre quelque chose - to learn something
apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un - to teach someone something
apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un - to teach someone something
rencontrer - to meet
faire la connaissance de - to meet someone for the first time
retrouver - to meet (for an appointment)
faire la connaissance de - to meet someone for the first time
retrouver - to meet (for an appointment)
partir - to leave (from or for a place)
quitter - to leave (a person or place)
sortir - to go out
s'en aller - to go away
laisser - to leave something behind
quitter - to leave (a person or place)
sortir - to go out
s'en aller - to go away
laisser - to leave something behind
retourner - to go back (to where speaker
is not)
revenir - to come back (to where speaker currently is)
rentrer - to come or go home
rendre - to return or give something back
revenir - to come back (to where speaker currently is)
rentrer - to come or go home
rendre - to return or give something back
faire - to make
fabriquer - to produce
obliger - to make someone do something
rendre - to make someone + adjective
fabriquer - to produce
obliger - to make someone do something
rendre - to make someone + adjective
► After some verbs, the word ne is required,
but this does not imply negation: craindre, redoûter, empêcher
Je crains qu'il ne fasse trop froid. I'm afraid that it's too cold.
Je crains qu'il ne fasse trop froid. I'm afraid that it's too cold.
► And a few verbs only require ne and not
pas in the negative, but this is elevated or literary language:
cesser, oser, pouvoir, savoir
Je ne peux vivre sans toi. I cannot live without you.
Je ne peux vivre sans toi. I cannot live without you.
C'est + adjective + à + infinitive is used
when the idea has already been mentioned; while il est + adjective
+ de + infinitive is used when the idea has not yet been mentioned.
Also, the c'est construction is used when you do not use a direct
object after the infinitive of the transitive verb, and the il est
construction is used when you do.
Est-ce qu'on peut apprendre le chinois en un an ? Can
you learn Chinese in one year?
Non, c'est impossible à apprendre en un an ! No, it's impossible to learn in one year! (The idea, Chinese, has already been mentioned, and there is no direct object.)
OR:
Non, il est impossible d'apprendre le chinois en un an ! (This sentence contains the direct object after the infinitive.)
Il est facile d'apprendre l'italien. It is easy to learn Italian. (The idea has not already been mentioned, and the direct object is used.)
Non, c'est impossible à apprendre en un an ! No, it's impossible to learn in one year! (The idea, Chinese, has already been mentioned, and there is no direct object.)
OR:
Non, il est impossible d'apprendre le chinois en un an ! (This sentence contains the direct object after the infinitive.)
Il est facile d'apprendre l'italien. It is easy to learn Italian. (The idea has not already been mentioned, and the direct object is used.)
► Adjectives that express a certain emotion require de
before the infinitive: content, désolé, furieux, heureux,
triste
Je suis contente de vous voir. I am happy to see you.
Je suis contente de vous voir. I am happy to see you.
► Other adjectives require à before the infinitive:
agréable, pénible, terrible, amusant, intéressant,
ennuyeux, léger, lourd, lent, rapide, premier, dernier, prêt,
seul
Il est prêt à partir. He is ready to leave.
Il est prêt à partir. He is ready to leave.
A longer list of adjectives that require à or
de before an infinitive can be found at 91.
on French V.
► In addition, when quelque chose is followed by an adjective,
de is inserted between the two.
quelque chose d'intéressant = something interesting
quelque chose d'intéressant = something interesting
| Soccer | le football | Softball | le softball |
| Hockey | le hockey | Golf | le golf |
| Football | le football américain | Bicycling | le vélo |
| Basketball | le basket | Surfing | le surf |
| Baseball | le base-ball | Dirt/Motor biking | le bicross |
| Horse-back riding | l'équitation; du cheval | French horn | le cor d'harmonie |
| Tennis | le tennis | violin | le violon |
| Skiing | le ski | guitar | la guitare |
| Volleyball | le volley | drum | le tambour |
| Wrestling | la lutte / le catch | tuba | le tuba |
| Jogging | le jogging | flute | la flûte |
| Ice-skating | le patin à glace | trombone | le trombone |
| Swimming | la natation | clarinet | la clarinette |
| Track and Field | l'athlétisme | cello | le violoncelle |
| Bowling | le bowling | harp | la harpe |
La lutte is regular wrestling (the real Greco-Roman
sport), while le catch is professional/fake wrestling.
Faire de + a sport means to play. Jouer à
+ a sport also means to play, as does jouer de + an instrument.
Tu fais du foot. You play soccer.
J'aime jouer au tennis. I like to play tennis.
Je peux jouer de la guitare. I can play the guitar.
Nous jouons de la clarinette. We play the clarinet.
Il veut jouer du tuba. He wants to play the tuba.
J'aime jouer au tennis. I like to play tennis.
Je peux jouer de la guitare. I can play the guitar.
Nous jouons de la clarinette. We play the clarinet.
Il veut jouer du tuba. He wants to play the tuba.
Listen to the les sports: la pétanque mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. | air | l'air (m) | frost | la gelée | rose | la rose |
| archipelago | l'archipel (m) | grass | l'herbe (f) | sand | le sable |
| bank | la rive | gulf | le golfe | sea | la mer |
| bay | la baie | hail | la grêle | shadow | l'ombre (f) |
| barn | la grange | hay | le foin | sky | le ciel |
| beach | la plage | high tide | la marée haute | snow | la neige |
| branch | la branche | hill | la colline | soil | la terre |
| bridge | le pont | ice | la glace | south | le sud |
| bud | le bouton | island | I'île (f) | spring (water) | la source |
| bush | le buisson | isthmus | l'isthme | star | l'étoile (f) |
| cape | le cap | jungle | la jungle | stem | la tige |
| cave | la caverne | lake | le lac | storm | l'orage (m) / la tempête |
| city | la ville | leaf | la feuille | strait | le détroit |
| climate | le climat | light | la lumière | stream | le ruisseau |
| cloud | le nuage | lightning | l'éclair (m) | street | la rue |
| coast | la côte | lily | le lis | sun | le soleil |
| comet | la comète | low tide | la marée basse | sunflower | le tournesol |
| constellation | la constellation | meadow | le pré | thaw | la fonte |
| country | le pays | moon | la lune | thunder | le tonnerre |
| country(side) | la campagne | mountain | la montagne | tornado | la tornade |
| current | le courant | mountain range | la chaîne de montagnes | tree | l'arbre (m) |
| daffodil | la jonquille | mouth (river) | l'embouchure (f) | trunk | le tronc |
| daisy | la marguerite | mud | la vase | tulip | la tulipe |
| darkness | l'obscurité (f) | nature | la nature | valley | la vallée |
| desert | le désert | north | le nord | view | la vue |
| dew | la rosée | peninsula | la péninsule | water | l'eau (f) |
| dust | la poussière | plain | la plaine | fresh water | l'eau douce |
| earth | la terre | planet | la planète | salt water | l'eau salée |
| east | l'est (m) | plant | la plante | watering can | l'arrosoir (m) |
| farm | la ferme | pond | l'étang (m) | waterfall | la cascade |
| field | le champ | pot (for plants) | le pot de fleurs | wave | la vague / l'onde (f) |
| flower | la fleur | rain | la pluie | weather | le temps |
| foam | l'écume (f) | rainbow | l'arc-en-ciel (m) | west | l'ouest (m) |
| fog | le brouillard | river | le fleuve | wind | le vent |
| foliage | le feuillage | rock | le rocher | world | le monde |
| forest | la forêt | root | la racine |
vivre - to live, be alive (vee-vruh)
Present
|
Imperfect
|
Future
|
|||||||||
| vis | vivons | vivais | vivions | vivrai | vivrons | ||||||
| vis | vivez | vivais | viviez | vivras | vivrez | ||||||
| vit | vivent | vivait | vivaient | vivra | vivront | ||||||
The past participle of vivre is vécu and it is conjugated with avoir. Habiter is another verb that means to live, but it means to live in a place. Vivre is used to mean the state of being alive. A subjunctive form of vivre, vive, is often used in exclamations.
Vive la France ! Long live France!
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